Creepers for use by repair persons or mechanics are well known. A definition of such creepers is, for instance, found in The Random House Dictionary, Second Edition (1987), as "a flat framework on casters, on which a mechanic lies while working under an automobile or the like."
A casterless creeper is apparent from U.S. Pat. No. 1,764,756, by R. W. Slee, issued Jun. 17, 1930 for "Automobile Creeper." That simulated creeper comprised a broad flat body portion adapted to slide when in use, and a head rest with rigid base extension for engagement by the body of the user to advance the same on the floor. The body portion had a fiber upper deck with upwardly projecting side guards. The structure was built largely of cellular board having corrugations disposed for draining water or oil out of the structure on which it fell.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,630,639, by T. M. Taylor, issued May 31, 1927 disclosed an oil and grease drip sheet formed of paper or similar flexible material covered or saturated with asphalt or the like whereby the same is made water-proof.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,833,375, by G. R. Lundelius, issued May 6, 1958 disclosed a drip pan to be positioned beneath a motor vehicle for catching and retaining lubricants dripping therefrom. That drip pan comprised a rectangular foldable frame including substantially U-shaped half sections terminating in aligned end loops. These half sections comprised depending, substantially U-shaped supporting legs at spaced intermediate points, a flexible panel mounted in the frame, and a supporting rod for that panel extending transversely therebeneath and including substantially U-shaped end portions engaged in the loops for hingedly connecting the half sections and mounting the rod thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,986,235, by B. E. Weibert, issued May 30, 1961, disclosed a garage floor covering and protecting oil drip catcher comprising a shallow pan having a flat bottom and non-absorbent means catching and conducting oil drops into concealed location at the bottom of the pan thus maintaining a clean appearance on top comprising a thin flat pad of matted metal fibers covering and contacting the bottom of the pan.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,996,150, by G. R. Cassem, issued Aug. 15, 1961 disclosed a garage floor liner comprising a pliable base sheet adapted to substantially cover the area of a garage floor. That sheet included side flanges located on a portion of the perimeter thereof. In particular, the side flanges were located at the sides of the sheet and at one end thereof, thereby providing an open end for driving a vehicle onto that liner. A plurality of suction surfaces was provided on the under side of the sheet; the upper side of that sheet including a pair of lengthened trackways. Such trackways included frictional substances therein for imparting a frictional effect to automobile wheels driven on these trackways. The open end of the liner includes a transverse raised boss thereon for the further entrapment of material on that liner.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,491, by S. L. Gatsos, issued Jan. 11, 1966 disclosed a drip mat for use beneath an automobile to absorb and hold grease and oil drippings comprising a substantially rectangular body portion of a size adapted to fit beneath an automobile. That body portion was multi-ply and laminated and had a top layer of substantially smooth fibrous material perforated to receive oil and grease drippings for absorption inside the mat structure, an intermediate layer of corrugated fibrous material, a lower layer of imperforate fibrous material and a bottom coating of grease and oil impervious plastics material. That body portion was scored transversely near its longitudinal center to facilitate folding of two half sections thereof upon each other for storage. Printed indicia, advertising, instructions and the like were provided on the upper side. That body portion also had a system of initially flat foldable hinged sections and slits for providing integral supporting feet thereon for spacing the mat from the floor.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,527, by G. F. Howe, issued Sep. 10, 1974 disclosed a disposable oil drip pan formed of a stiffened oil-resistant material which included a plurality of interconnected accordion folds. Each of the accordion folds included a pair of side walls and a ridge formed at the intersection of that pair of side walls with each accordion fold being movable between a flattened position with the side walls in contacting relation and an open position with the side walls inclined upwardly toward the ridge.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,024, by H. W. Schumacher, issued Jun. 9, 1987 disclosed a drip pan adapted to catch dirt and debris falling from a vehicle that is driven onto it. The drip pan was a rectangular sheet of plastic material sized to extend beyond the perimeter of a vehicle. The edges of the plastic sheet are rolled under and thermally sealed or glued along a line parallel with the perimeter of the sheet, forming a sleeve.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,754, by L. S. Tomek, issued Jan. 17, 1989 disclosed a lightweight, disposable absorbent mat adapted for placement beneath a motor vehicle or machine to catch oil, grease and other drippings and comprising a generally rectangular base layer made up of an oil-impervious material, and a plurality of upper, oil-absorbent plies interconnected to one another and superimposed on the base layer; the plies being made up of a highly absorbent paper or cellulose material. The plies of paper material were interconnected at spaced intervals and covered with an upper plastic layer perforated to permit any drippings to pass through the upper layer into the absorbent plies; the upper layer having an outer peripheral edge or edges sealed to the outer peripheral edges of the bottom layer to form a moisture barrier around the sides of the absorbent plies. Stiffener frame members were interposed between the outer peripheral edges of the upper and base layers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,005, by A. Hahn et al., issued Jan. 31, 1989 disclosed a mat designed to absorb a maximum amount of oil, keep the oil from seeping onto floors or work areas, be laid flat on floors or work areas, be unfolded during removal from containers, and folded to be repackaged in the original container. The mat structure which incorporated mineral based absorbents, was pleated, and had an underside composed of a material that was oil and abrasion resistant.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,341, by K. Shirota, issued Mar. 19, 1991 disclosed a container for the storage and disposal of liquids, such as liquid fats, oils and suspended greases, comprising a receptacle with interior walls impervious and resistant to such liquids. One or more thick mats were contained within such receptacle. Such mats were comprised of pads of absorbent material, such as paper or other fibrous or filamentary pulp products, laminated and bonded onto a thin oil-absorbent sheet made from a material such as paper and non-woven fabric.
In a different vein, U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,512, by B. D. Coyle, issued May 22, 1990 disclosed a folding paperboard beach chair formed from a single scored blank of paperboard. The elongated paperboard body had two spaced-apart and transverse score lines defining a bottom leg support panel, a middle seat support panel, and a top back support panel wherein the bottom and top panels are adapted to be folded so as to overlay the middle panel.
On the other hand, the conventional type of automotive repair creeper where a board structure is mounted on casters continues to be manufactured and used.